Comic Relief: Home Alone Parody

Friday: Comic Relief


I love this Studio C sketch. Never leave Kevin home alone this time of year!

Kevin Defends the Apartment

Take 33: Silent Night

My "take" on a film.

Silent Night (2012)

"The powerful true story behind the most

popular Christmas carol of all time."

As a new assistant priest, Joseph Mohr (Carsten Clemens) wants the church to connect with the common people of Austria with sermon and song in German (instead of Latin). He wants people to understand the services, but his methods, which include allowing a female in the church choir, lead him to the verge of disciplinary action. 

Early in his ministry, a religious leader counseled, "If you want to keep hope alive, you must never lose hope yourself." Yet, the night before Christmas, Mohr struggles with possible defeat, and as he walks through the snow, wondering about his future, he feels inspired to put one of his poems to music. 

Enlisting the help of musician and church organist, Franz Gruber (Markus von Lingen), they combine talents to create--in one night--a lullaby to perform for the upcoming Midnight Mass. Mohr hopes the people "will remember this Christmas for years to come."

Thank you, Joseph and Franz, for my favorite Christmas hymn, Silent Night.

And thank you, Christian Vuissa for the beautiful film. 

I met Christian, an Austrian filmmaker, several years ago. He was passionate about the history behind the beloved hymn and it shows in the film. The stunning Austrian location, beautifully composed shots, and the editing pace--never lingering too long on one scene--move the fascinating story.

This film will air on BYU-TV (Mountain Standard Time)

December 11, 7:00 p.m.

December 12, 12:00 a.m.

December 12, 12:00 p.m.

Or watch it now on byutv.org (link): Silent Night (2012).

Slow movie vs wall-to-wall action

Monday: Dialogue, Lines, or Quotes

"A slow movie that closely observes human beings and their relationships can be endlessly fascinating, while a thriller with nonstop wall-to-wall action can be boring, because it is all relentlessly pitched at the same tone." (Roger Ebert)

I've seen action packed films that I count as gaggers, yet I get so used to fast paced movies and television, that when I watch a slower paced flick, I feel impatient. But, if I relax and let the story unfold at its leisure, I usually find, like Ebert said, the movie to be endlessly fascinating.

And memorable.

Dialogue from not-so-scary movies.

Monday: Dialogue, Lines, or Quotes

Today is Halloween, so I selected some fun dialogue:

 Ernest Scared Stupid (1991):

ERNEST (Jim Varney)

(sees Trantor the Troll)

Oh, I sure hope you're from Keebler!

Hocus Pocus (1993):

WINIFRED (Bette Midler)

Oh look, another glorious morning.

Makes me sick!

Young Frankenstein (1974):

DR. FRANKENSTEIN (Gene Wilder)

STAND BACK! ... HE'S GOT A ROTTEN BRAIN!

FRAU BLÜCHER (Cloris Leachman)

It's not rotten! It's a good brain!

DR. FRANKENSTEIN

IT'S ROTTEN, I TELL YOU, ROTTEN!

THE MONSTER (Peter Boyle)

(lunging at the doctor)

RRAAAAAA!

IGOR (Marty Feldman)

Ixnay on the ottenray.

Casper (1995):

KAT (Christina Ricci)

I can see right through you.

CASPER (Malachi Pearson)

Yeah, kind of happens when

you haven't got any skin.

Beetlejuice (1988):

ADAM (Alec Baldwin)

(reading)

"Handbook of the Recently Diseased".

BARBARA (Geena Davis)

... Deceased.

ADAM

Deceased?

BARBARA

I don't know where it came from.

Look at the publisher.

ADAM

"Handbook for the Recently

Deceased Press".

BARBARA

You know what? I don't think

we survived the crash!

Have a happy and safe Halloween!